MIDEAST 207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Jezreel Valley, Baibars, Via Maris
Document Summary
Origins in central asia (modern day kazakhstan) harsh conditions in region made inhabitants physically strong muslim expeditions to kidnap central. Asian boys aged 13-17: mamluks = soldier slaves trained in camps & converted to islam. Mamluks could rise to positions of power in military while still enslaved. Baybars = military leader of mamluks in bakriah camp on island in delta of nile. 7th crusade: led by king louie ix planned to infiltrate holy land thru egypt. Baybars defeats & captures alive king louie ix simultaneously, ayubian unrest & sultan dies widow of sultan marries mamluk slave mamluk slave declares himself sultan (1250) Baghdad sacked by mongols (1258) & damascus captured by mongols (1259) . meanwhile, mamluks advance from egypt to confront mongols ein galud (sep. 1260): mamluks vs. mongols : cavalries in close battle in jezreel valley on via maris . Baybars & mamluks win , baybars = military hero baybars ordered back to egypt.